Surgical Technician

The Surgical Technician is a member of the surgical team and provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. The Surgical Technician participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgical team.

Duties include, but are not limited to;

• Assists the team members with care of the patient, i.e., positioning, prepping, and obtaining supplies.
• Utilizes universal precautions at all times.
• Follows infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment.
• Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical professionals and assures that all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure.
• Observes and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedure and anticipates the needs of the surgeon.
• Handles all specimen appropriately.
• Assesses equipment needs and maintain adequate stock of supplies and materials.
• Assists in developing and maintaining appropriate and cost-saving inventory prices.
• Performs non-technical maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions.
• Functions as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical and specialized surgical procedures.
• Prepares, organizes, and maintains highly complex sterile surgical set-ups.
• Sets up sterile field with all required items for each procedure.
• Provides guidance and support to other staff as required.
• Trains other staff on surgical procedures.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00AM - 3:30PM, with the potential of staying late and on call rotation. Including weekend and holiday rotation. Subject to change based on the needs of the facility.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD08361A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Approved

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/26/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Assisting the surgical team with patient positioning, prepping, and setting up the operative field.
  • Preparing prosthesis and/or surgical devices during procedures.
  • Utilizing medical terminology when interpreting requests and provide proper documentation for surgical procedures.
  • Recognizing changes in patient condition and takes appropriate actions in response to the situation.
  • Follows protocols for handling various specimens.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Physical Requirements: Duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients, most of who are at stages of unconsciousness. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, pulling, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide easy accessibility of instruments and supplies for the surgeon. The surgical technician must be dexterous in passing instruments to surgeons without compromising principles of aseptic technique and in a manner requiring little or no effort from the surgeon.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.